Girlfriend too short to drive Vantage

Girlfriend too short to drive Vantage

Author
Discussion

DB4DM

928 posts

122 months

Monday 20th April 2015
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Manual clutch on the gear stick?

W1111AM

942 posts

128 months

Tuesday 21st April 2015
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Simple answer to this, it's where you're picking up your girlfriends chap teacher

hehe

hygt2

419 posts

178 months

Thursday 23rd April 2015
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Interesting as had similar problem in a TVR Griff.

I would not recommend
1) seat cushion - you lose side and thigh support when you sit forward and dangerous in an accident as your head will be further away from the head rest.
2) pedal extension - the leverage / angle of attack never seems right for the ones we have tried.

I would recommend modify the seat rails and move the complete seat assembly forward by 25mm or so. Then you would still have all the correct ergonomics that came with the car.

AdamV12V

4,987 posts

176 months

Thursday 23rd April 2015
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Which shoes is she wearing in the Vantage, Louboutin or Jimmy Choo? I believe the latter are less friendly toward the shorter lass when driving an Aston.

May I suggest you take her to the shops at the weekend and get few nice pairs of high heel Louboutin's and your troubles should be sorted. Even if it doesn't help with the driving problem, she probably wont give a sh*t about not being able to reach the clutch pedal afterwards... biggrin

W1111AM

942 posts

128 months

Thursday 23rd April 2015
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AdamV12V said:
Which shoes is she wearing in the Vantage, Louboutin or Jimmy Choo? I believe the latter are less friendly toward the shorter lass when driving an Aston.

May I suggest you take her to the shops at the weekend and get few nice pairs of high heel Louboutin's and your troubles should be sorted. Even if it doesn't help with the driving problem, she probably wont give a sh*t about not being able to reach the clutch pedal afterwards... biggrin
hehe

steveatesh

4,893 posts

163 months

Friday 24th April 2015
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AdamV12V said:
Which shoes is she wearing in the Vantage, Louboutin or Jimmy Choo? I believe the latter are less friendly toward the shorter lass when driving an Aston.

May I suggest you take her to the shops at the weekend and get few nice pairs of high heel Louboutin's and your troubles should be sorted. Even if it doesn't help with the driving problem, she probably wont give a sh*t about not being able to reach the clutch pedal afterwards... biggrin
This is of course the answer OP, she gets the Louboutin shoes and you buy a Vantage, or if you have one get another one. She can flash the red soles off and be happy, and you gain man points which you are in danger of losing at the moment.

NB - this is not a sexist forum in any way shape or form whistle

steveatesh

4,893 posts

163 months

Friday 24th April 2015
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TonyW360 said:
Has anyone come across this problem before and found a solution? My girlfriend was going to test drive a Vantage V8 this weekend but couldn't fully depress the clutch (she's 5 foot 1 inch) even with the seat fully forward. The manager suggested getting a clutch extension from a place called SVO, which I'll look into, but she's a bit reluctant to go that route. It's strange as she sat in a manual Gallardo a few minutes later (next door showrooms in Pangbourne) and it seemed fine. Are Aston Martins known for being tricky for short people? We should probably have tried the Vantage V12 to see if it also happened on that but we ran out of time.
Serious answer:
My wife is 5ft 1 1/2 in and she struggles to drive the V8. She can't operate the clutch properly and has the seat right forward.
Now some, (Jockman?) may argue that half inch makes a big difference between getting by and being able to do a proper job. Personally I don't think Astons are made for smaller humans, which is why the new AM Plan includes a car "more aimed at women" . Thankfully, mine doesn't drive the V8 much for this reason, which fills me with joy.

So if she wants an Aston, and who wouldn't, then the Sportshift sounds like the best option ?




Jockman

17,912 posts

159 months

Friday 24th April 2015
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steveatesh said:
Now some, (Jockman?) may argue that half inch makes a big difference between getting by and being able to do a proper job....
Not true, Etienne nono

For example...Nicola Sturgeon is going to make a fantastic prime minister. Now there's a woman I look up to yes

Jon39

12,780 posts

142 months

Friday 24th April 2015
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Jockman said:
Nicola Sturgeon is going to make a fantastic prime minister.

It will be the end of our forum though.

Once the nukes have gone, Putin will be landing at Ardnumurchen, to 'arrange' another one of his elections, to 'free the people'.

We won't be allowed to have opinions on here after that.


steveatesh

4,893 posts

163 months

Friday 24th April 2015
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W
Jon39 said:

It will be the end of our forum though.

Once the nukes have gone, Putin will be landing at Ardnumurchen, to 'arrange' another one of his elections, to 'free the people'.

We won't be allowed to have opinions on here after that.
I can assure you my mrs will still have an Opinion and it will be the right one! wink

Jockman

17,912 posts

159 months

Friday 24th April 2015
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Jon39 said:
Jockman said:
Nicola Sturgeon is going to make a fantastic prime minister.

It will be the end of our forum though.

Once the nukes have gone, Putin will be landing at Ardnumurchen, to 'arrange' another one of his elections, to 'free the people'.

We won't be allowed to have opinions on here after that.
Hope you detected my sarcasm, matey wink

If Scotland had gained independence, Labour would have been decimated. Since they didn't, Labour and the entire UK will now be decimated yes

Fad politics (witness UKIP) now replaces traditional politics....oh well smile

AMDBSNick

6,990 posts

161 months

Friday 24th April 2015
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Jockman said:
Jon39 said:
Jockman said:
Nicola Sturgeon is going to make a fantastic prime minister.

It will be the end of our forum though.

Once the nukes have gone, Putin will be landing at Ardnumurchen, to 'arrange' another one of his elections, to 'free the people'.

We won't be allowed to have opinions on here after that.
Hope you detected my sarcasm, matey wink

If Scotland had gained independence, Labour would have been decimated. Since they didn't, Labour and the entire UK will now be decimated yes

Fad politics (witness UKIP) now replaces traditional politics....oh well smile
thumbup

Vanin

1,010 posts

165 months

Saturday 25th April 2015
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LTP

2,048 posts

111 months

Saturday 25th April 2015
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hygt2 said:
dangerous in an accident as your head will be further away from the head rest.
I agree with this, particularly if you're rear-ended by someone not paying attention

hygt2 also said:
I would recommend modify the seat rails and move the complete seat assembly forward by 25mm or so. Then you would still have all the correct ergonomics that came with the car.
I do not agree with this. I think one end of the seatbelt is anchored to the seat rails - any attempt to modify them or move them by modifying the mounting points to the floor could seriously compromise the restraints system in any crash.

Sadly, my advice is that if she can't drive it as designed, get something else.